There are castles that are beautiful. There are castles that are dramatic. And then there is Dunnottar – a place so improbable, so defiant, so drenched in blood and secrets, that standing on its clifftop edges feels less like sightseeing and more like reckoning. This is the ruin that hid Scotland’s crown jewels from Oliver Cromwell’s army – and how they escaped owes everything to the courage of one extraordinary woman.
A fortress at the edge of the world
Drive south from Aberdeen along the Aberdeenshire coast and you will reach the village of Stonehaven. Turn off towards the sea and follow the path to the cliff edge. What you see will stop you cold.
Dunnottar Castle sits on a stack of rock that plunges 160 feet to the North Sea on three sides. The only approach is a narrow path that climbs steeply to a gatehouse defended by a tunnel cut through solid stone. For centuries, the sea was on all sides and the gatehouse was the only door. No wonder it survived nearly everything thrown at it.
The earliest fortification here dates to the early Middle Ages, though the ruined buildings visible today are mostly 14th to 16th century. They belonged to the powerful Keith family – the Earls Marischal – who were among the most important nobles in Scotland and whose job it was to protect one thing above all others: the Honours of Scotland.
The crown jewels and the army at the gates
In 1651, Oliver Cromwell’s forces swept north through Scotland. The English Parliamentary army was thorough, methodical, and brutal. Their mission was to crush what remained of Scottish resistance – and to seize the Honours of Scotland: the crown, sceptre, and sword of state that symbolised Scottish sovereignty and had been used to crown every Scottish monarch for generations.
The Honours were rushed to Dunnottar for safekeeping. The castle held out under siege for eight months – one of the longest sieges in Scottish history. The garrison knew it could not hold forever. The question became: how do you get the crown jewels out of an impregnable castle surrounded by an enemy army?
The answer involved a minister, his wife, and a basket of flax.
The woman who outwitted Cromwell
Christian Granger was the wife of the Reverend James Grainger, minister of the nearby parish of Kinneff. She obtained permission to visit the castle under the pretence of visiting a close friend held inside. When she left, the crown was hidden beneath her clothing. The sceptre and sword were concealed in a bundle of flax carried by her servant.
Cromwell’s soldiers, it seems, did not think to search a minister’s wife carrying linen.
Christian rode back to Kinneff, and the couple buried the Honours beneath the floor of their church, where they remained hidden for nine years. When the monarchy was restored in 1660 and Charles II was crowned King of Scotland, the Honours of Scotland were retrieved – intact, untouched, and still bearing the marks of the monarchs who had used them for centuries.
The Honours are now displayed at Edinburgh Castle. Christian Granger is barely a footnote in most history books. But without her, those symbols of Scottish nationhood might have been melted down or lost forever.
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The Covenanters’ Prison – Scotland’s darkest chapter
Dunnottar’s darkest hour came in 1685. A group of 122 Scottish Covenanters – men and women who refused to accept the authority of the king over the Church of Scotland – were imprisoned here in a single vaulted cellar known today as the Whigs Vault. They were given no sanitation, almost no food, and no light. In the suffocating heat of a Scottish summer, dozens died. Others escaped by climbing ropes down the sea cliffs, some falling to their deaths on the rocks below.
The survivors were shipped to the colonies. The episode became known as the Whigs Vault Martyrs and is remembered as one of the most shameful events in Scottish legal history.
You can stand in that cellar today. It is not a comfortable experience. It should not be.
Visiting Dunnottar Castle
Dunnottar is about two miles south of Stonehaven, which is itself about fifteen miles south of Aberdeen. The walk from the car park takes around ten minutes and involves some steep, uneven terrain – sturdy footwear is recommended. The cliff path is exposed and can be slippery in wet weather.
The castle is privately owned and charges a modest entry fee. It is open most of the year but hours vary by season. The ruins are extensive – the site covers roughly three acres – and include a great hall, drawing rooms, a chapel, stables, and the infamous vault.
Sunrise and golden hour are when Dunnottar is at its most extraordinary. The cliffs catch the light, the North Sea turns silver, and the ruins glow amber against a sky that feels like it belongs to another century. Photographers travel from across the world for this view. It delivers every time.
If you are building a Scottish castle itinerary, pair Dunnottar with Scotland’s most spectacular castles for a broader touring route – or contrast Dunnottar’s dramatic ruins with Craigievar, Scotland’s pink fairy-tale castle, just an hour’s drive inland.
Frequently asked questions
Where exactly is Dunnottar Castle?
Dunnottar Castle is located near Stonehaven in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, approximately 15 miles south of Aberdeen. It sits on a dramatic sea stack overlooking the North Sea, accessible via a short clifftop walk from the car park off the A92 coastal road.
What happened to Scotland’s crown jewels at Dunnottar?
In 1651, the Honours of Scotland – the crown, sceptre, and sword of state – were hidden at Dunnottar to protect them from Cromwell’s invading army. After an eight-month siege, they were smuggled out by Christian Granger, the local minister’s wife, hidden in her clothing and in bundles of flax. They were buried under Kinneff Church for nine years and retrieved intact after the Restoration in 1660. They are now on display at Edinburgh Castle.
Is Dunnottar Castle worth visiting?
Absolutely. The setting is one of the most dramatic of any castle in Europe, and the history – spanning Wallace, the crown jewels, and the Covenanter martyrs – is genuinely extraordinary. Allow at least 90 minutes to explore the full site. Visit at sunrise or late afternoon for the best light and smaller crowds.
Was William Wallace connected to Dunnottar Castle?
According to tradition, William Wallace captured the English garrison at Dunnottar in 1297 during his campaign to liberate Scotland. The castle had been used as an English stronghold, and its capture was one of Wallace’s early military actions in the Scottish Wars of Independence.
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There is a moment at Dunnottar, when the path curves and the full ruin comes into view above the sea, where the centuries collapse. You are not just looking at old stones. You are looking at the place where Scotland’s identity was protected by a woman with flax and nerve. That story deserves to be told.